Posts

When Do I Get My Braces Off?

The Amount of Time Required For Orthodontic Treatment Varies

If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces, then you probably wonder when your orthodontist will remove the devices. The amount of time required for repairing malocclusions can vary, depending on the type of abnormality along with the individual patient. Children have extremely soft bones, so when they are undergoing orthodontic treatment, it is typically a fast process unless they have major abnormalities. A teenager will experience a faster treatment time than an adult.

FAQ

Does Treatment Time Depend On Your Malocclusions?

By having a complete examination at an orthodontic facility, you can determine what type of abnormalities you have. Repairing these abnormalities of the mouth can improve your smile to give you a more attractive facial appearance, but more importantly, orthodontia will improve your bite. With a good bite, you won’t develop problems such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction or migraine headaches. Many individuals have bad bites that are caused by these malocclusions:

Rotations

Crossbites

Underbite

Overbite

Open bite

Misplaced midline

Crowding or overlapping

Overjet

Will You Need Medical Images and Molds Of Your Mouth?

In addition to having one or more of these abnormalities, it is essential to determine where these problems occur in the mouth. While visiting an orthodontic facility, you will have many medical images collected to understand your abnormalities. In addition, a hygienist will collect molds of your mouth and teeth to see additional abnormalities.

How Cna You Maintain Delicate Brackets and Wires To Reduce Treatment Time?

When you need braces or Invisalign aligners, the items are 100 percent customized to repair your malocclusions. By following the recommendations of an orthodontic team, you will repair abnormalities faster. Some of these recommendations will include wearing the aligners as much as possible or following a healthy dietary plan. If you eat sticky or hard foods, then it can dislodge a bracket or break a wire, disrupting your orthodontic treatment.

Are There Different Types Of Orthodontic Treatments?

There are numerous types of orthodontic treatments available, including:

Clear plastic aligners that are removable

Traditional metal wires and brackets

Ceramic brackets and clear wires

Lingual brackets and thin wires

Self-ligating brackets and wires

Expanders for the palate or lower jaw

Retainers used after regular orthodontic treatment ends

How Do You Take Care Of Wires and Brackets To Avoid Disruptions In Treatments?

By have the proper type of archwires along with taking care of your brackets and wires, you will have faster orthodontic treatment. However, if you break wires while sticking pencils in your mouth or dislodge a bracket while chewing on gum, then you will disrupt your orthodontic treatment plan.

Is It Important To Keep Your Orthodontic Appointments?

Brackets and wires move your misaligned teeth by applying pressure against your teeth. Occasionally, you must visit an orthodontic office to have the wires tightened so that the brackets will continue to apply pressure on your teeth. When you fail to visit an orthodontic facility to have the wires tightened, it will lead to an increased treatment time.

How Long Does It Take To Repair Malocclusions?

An adult with severe malocclusions may need to wear brackets and wires for as long as four years, but the average amount of time required for treatment is two years. Children and teenagers tend to have faster treatment times because the alveolar bone in their jaw is softer and will regenerate faster.

Should You Consume a Nutritious Diet For Faster Orthodontic Treatment?

If you consume a nutritious diet, then your bones will regenerate faster, helping your teeth to shift into the correct positions. While undergoing orthodontic treatment with wires and brackets, you must eat softer foods, so you should learn how to prepare numerous recipes. You can’t eat hard or fibrous foods because these items will break your wires and damage your brackets. When preparing meals, you must cook the ingredients until the meat or vegetables are soft. Some of the foods that you can eat include soups, stir-fries or casseroles that have tiny sections of carrots, potatoes or beef rather than large chunks of these ingredients. In addition to eating healthy snacks and meals, you can benefit from using dietary supplements that contain an assortment of minerals and vitamins.

I Want a Perfect Smile When My Braces Come Off!

Keeping your teeth in proper care is just as crucial as to when you were wearing them originally. The worst thing you can do is ruin your perfect smile is poor brushing habits. In the guide below, we will discuss the importance of maintaining your white smile, even when your braces come off.

Why Take Care of Your Teeth?

The two most common challenges that most people face after their procedure has finished are:

However, below, are the steps you can take to keep your teeth both straight and white while building up great oral health habits.

Get a Dental Cleaning and Exam

Once you’ve worn this type of dental gear, you fully know the struggle of brushing and flossing your teeth well. In fact, the longer you have them on, the more plaque can build up and damage your teeth. However, a dental cleaning is one of the best ways to remove excess plaque and stains. This is why getting one after is an ideal way to maintain your smile.

Plus, while you’re at the orthodontist, you should try asking for a professional whitening as well. After you’ve spent months, if not years trying to fix your teeth, it’s time to finally whiten up your smile the best you can. Additionally, don’t be surprised to see yellow stains or discoloration on your teeth after you get your braces removed. All you need is a little hard work and dentist trips to get your teeth back to what they were before.

Wear Your Retainer

Even though wearing a retainer can be painful and unappealing, it’s incredibly important to wear it after you get your dental gear off. In fact, your teeth will try sliding back out of place, this is what the retainer is for. Plus, if your dental equipment had to be removed early, a retainer can help finish the job they started, after all, teeth can take years to get in their newly desired position.

Depending on what type of situation you are in, there are three main types of retainers your orthodontist may make you wear:

Clear, removable retainer that has similar advantages to Invisalign

Hawley, removable retainer that is made of an acrylic base with metal wires to keep your teeth in position

Custom, non-removable retainer that is attached to your teeth via metal wires Make sure you carry a retainer case wherever you go. Since most retainers need to be removed before you eat or drink something, it’s best to bring it on-the-go for snacking emergencies. However, you should also keep napkins or tissues on hand to dry your retainers before you store them too.

In addition, you should also work on routinely cleaning your retainers. In fact, some retainers can be easily cleaned with your toothbrush and toothpaste. However, dentures require a specialized cleaner, along with most removable retainers as well. Remember, you never want to put a dirty retainer in your mouth.

Take Care of Your Teeth at Home

Whether you got braces or Invisalign, you have already spent a lot trying to get the best smile possible. In order to keep them looking this way, you will need to take extra care when performing your at-home dental routine. Here are a few ways you can maintain your new smile and ensure it will look great for many years to come.

Use a soft-bristled brush to clean your teeth twice a day. You should also replace your toothbrush once every three or four months or when you notice the bristles start to fray.

Floss every day to get rid of any leftover food particles or plaque. Be sure to floss between every single tooth.

Keep up with healthy eating habits and avoid consuming a lot of sugar.

Use mouthwash to give your teeth an added layer of protection.

Take proper care of your retainer, as mentioned above.

It is also a good idea to rinse out your mouth with water after you eat any sugary foods. You should also rinse your mouth after you eat or drink anything that can cause stains, like tea or coffee. This can help to prevent staining and maintain the whiteness of your teeth.

How to Get the Best Results

The only way to keep your teeth looking great after you get your dental gear removed is by taking proper care of them. This means caring for them at home and going to the orthodontist regularly, while you are undergoing treatment and afterward, too. If you want your smile to stay perfect, maintenance is crucial.

I have seen several orthodontists but Papandreas is the best. From the first free consultation all the way until I finished the final consult and post-treatment, they were super nice and very professional. Unfortunately, I have missed two appointments due to some transportation issues, but they rescheduled them on the very next day without any questions. I had a problem with my scheduled payment and I called them and they were very helpful and everything went smoothly. I definitely recommend them, and you cannot find better service than what they offer. Honestly, it was an amazing experience, and the results were fabulous and better than what I expected.

Dr. Papandreas and his entire staff are amazing! You can really tell they are all passionate and love what they do. The office is always so clean and decorated for the seasons which makes visits fun! I highly recommend Dr. Papandreas to anyone looking to change their smile!

The ENTIRE Team was AMAZING!!! Kind, patient, thorough, and friendly! We never felt rushed through our visits and everything was explained so clearly. My daughter’s smile looks gorgeous! I would recommend others to have a consultation with Dr. Papandreas and see for themselves!

Dr. Papandreas Orthodontics was a pleasurable experience from the first exam to the last day when the braces were removed. Professional and friendly staff, everything new, clean and state of the art. All businesses should be conducted in the same manner. The next governor of Ohio should be Samuel Papandreas, and then he should become president - our country would be happier and healthier. My daughter Zina's smile and appearance, along with her confidence and outlook, have improved 100%.